"Mum of the Year"

CHAPTER 2: Tale of Two Pirates

SETTING: Seaport in the the Enchanted Forest

TIME: Centuries before the First Curse

"SMEE!" bellowed Hook, "Search every wharf, tavern, gutter and barn! Go home to home if you have to! I want those two in irons before sunrise!"

"Aye-Aye, Sir," Smee replied.

Hook angrily strutted off of the dock, pounded his fist against a pile of stacked crates and strode out into the dark street. His fierce blue eyes reflected the light from the torch he carried. Smee and the posse of seamen gave the captain a wide berth. The townspeople stayed back even further.

"Try to Steal the Jolly Roger from me, will they?" he snarled. "I'll keelhaul the bilge-suckers!"

"Captain," ventured a nervous Smee, "Perhaps Bellamy and Teach split up?"

"Umm, good observation, Mr. Smee. They would be less likely to attract attention if they separated...You take ten men and go that way. I'll lead the rest in the opposite direction...GOD HELP YOU DOGS IF THEY GET AWAY!"

The pirates split into two groups and fanned out in opposite directions pushing the townspeople people ahead of them. As they moved away from the dock, no one noticed one of the crates shake slightly. After the noise and murmurs faded, a dark head popped out of that crate.

"Sam! All's clear!" Came a hoarse whisper. "Sam! Where ARE you?"

Another crate burst open. "Over here,Edward!"

A sturdy,dark-haired young man climbed out of the second crate and extended a hand to help free Edward Teach from his hiding place. Teach grinned up at his friend. Edward Teach and Sam Bellamy had been inseparable since the orphanage. Young Sam had been discovered living on the beach by himself. He claimed his father abandoned him there after the death of his mother. Teach had appeared two days later claiming his parents had died over the winter and he was now an orphan. Of the two, Sam had been lucky enough to be taken in by the honest, hard working Bellamy family. Eight years Sam's senior, Teach had bounced from family to family, none of whom would tolerate his cruelty and deviousness for long. The only person Teach treated with any respect was Samuel Bellamy. The Bellamys feared Teach's influence on young Sam. Their fears proved valid when Teach convinced Bellamy to run away to sea at the tender age of 15.

They worked as honest seaman on merchant vessels at first. But, Teach's penchant for disreputable company soon lured them to more profitable service aboard pirate ships. Eventually, Smee hired the two men to serve aboard the Jolly Roger. When the Jolly moored at a small port to take on supplies, Teach and Bellamy visited the local tavern. Here they heard of a fantastic realm where ships loaded with gold and silver crossed a vast ocean regularly. Pirates looted these ships at will with little resistance from local authorities. The only problem with reaching this world was that you needed a way to traverse the realms and a ship strong enough to withstand such travel. Teach and Bellamy knew one man who had both - Captain Hook. But, when they presented their plan to Hook, he refused to take part.

"Do you think I would be so addled as to risk my precious beans AND my enchanted ship for such a dubious adventure?" Hook had said to them.

"But, Captain," Bellamy implored, "Think of the treasure!"

"I rarely think of anything else, Mr. Bellamy."

"Not true," muttered Teach."There's revenge on the bleeding croc-"

"Did you say something, Teach?" Hook snarled.

"No, Captain."

"Well, then - get back to work and let me hear no more about this nonsensical place! The Spanish Main - a fairy story if ever I heard one!"

Unwilling to relinquish their dream, Bellamy and Teach soon concocted an elaborate scheme to take Hook's beans and his ship. Apparently, the scheme was a bit too elaborate. They succeeded in procuring two of the magic beans but failed miserably in their attempt to hijack the Jolly Roger. Now here they were, running for their lives!

"Listen Edward," Sam said, "Why don't we bargain with Hook? He gives us our lives and we give him back the two beans we stole?"

"No, Sammy. I don't think he even knows we have the beans. And he'll likely kill us anyway."

"Well," Sam sighed, "I guess we can steal one of these smaller ships and hope it holds together to get us through to the other side of the portal. But, it will most likely be wrecked in the process."

"Aye," Edward nodded. "But, if we can get to that realm alive, we could work our way through as deck hands until we have an opportunity to get our own ship."

"Edward, that is only IF we survive the wreck...then IF we find a way to dry land... then IF that land is inhabited...and those inhabitants must be willing to, if not help us, at least not kill us ...then we need to find work aboard ship...then we need to somehow procure our own ship ...hire a crew...get supplies...oh,yes, and all of this we must do with no funds."

"You make it sound a fools errand, Sam. But what choice do we have? Hook will kill us! You heard him!"

"Aye, I've no doubts about that. Just the name Hook instills fear into the heart of a man."

"I plan to have an even more fearsome reputation some day..but, I must get an appropriate monicker. How does the name Blackbeard sound?"

"Like the devil himself! But the effect will be lost when coupled with your hairless cheeks!"said Sam with a laugh.

"I can grow a beard!"

"Aye, but Captain Addlepat suits you better!"

"Oh, you think that's funny, Mr. Bellamy? Well, we'll see how you laugh when I'm the pirate that all of the other pirates fear...but, first, we need to find a way out of this mess."

"Right... So our options are a suicide mission to this other realm or staying here to be caught and keel hauled by Hook?"

"Yes."

"Okay, let's go steal a ship, Blackbeard!"
********************************************************

SETTING: Entrance to the Sheriff's Office, Storybrooke

TIME: Present Day

"Trust me, Locksley,Blackbeard wants more than just to trade insults," Killian said as Robin opened the door to the Sheriff's Office and the two entered the building. He didn't mind the insults as long as Emma and the baby were left out. Blackbeard's parting shout rattled Hook. Robin had spent the return trip trying to reassure him that Blackbeard wouldn't dare hurt his family.

"Oh, I agree, Killian,"replied Robin. "But what does this Bellamy fellow have to do with it? Did Blackbeard and he have some kind of a ...a...romantic relationship?

Hook thought for a moment. "No, Teach never had use for women outside of the bedroom but he was no buggerer...I always took it that he and Sam Belamy were close friends, 'tis all."

"Well, actually, Captain," chimed in a third voice from the lobby, "There was a rumor that they were actually brothers."

"Ah, Mr. Smee," said Killian as he turned in the direction of the voice,"Thank you for coming...Brothers did you say?"

"Well, Sir, it was just a rumor. I mean they both came out of the same orphanage and the way Teach hovered over the boy even after the Bellamys had adopted him. Did you ask me to come here to discuss old rumors, Sir?"

"No...Locksley and I went out to answer a boater distress call. When we got there, the boater was Blackbeard and we chased him until that blasted black fog stopped us... Before we lost him, he yelled something about Bellamy."

David Nolan suddenly popped his head out of the adjacent meeting room.

"Killian, I couldn't help overhearing. So Blackbeard is in town,huh?"

"Yes, we just saw the bilge rat."

"Look-uh-we have a missing persons case," said David gravely, "Blackbeard might be part of it. Why don't you three come in here with us and we'll fill you in?"

The men followed David into the conference room. Killian was surprised to see Mayor Regina Mills and Mr. Gold sitting at the table. Killian scratched the back of his neck. Why was he getting an uneasy feeling?

"So, Dave," he said as he seated himself. "Who is missing?"

"Brace yourself, Killian...It's Emma."

Killian felt his stomach drop. He stared flabbergasted at his father in law. This news confirmed his worst fears. After a few beats, he found his voice.

"But-but Emma was just going shopping...and then meeting with Regina and Gold. Are you sure she just isn't-"

"Hook," Regina interrupted, "She never showed for our meeting."

"So, we called Mr. Nolan here," Gold took over for the mayor, "and asked him to find her."

"We checked your home," began David, "our house, Henry's school, Grannies, the park - no Emma. Her yellow bug was still parked outside the yogurt store. Then we ran into Belle who said Emma went to the festival...I found her purse with her phone still inside at an empty craft stand. No one at the festival had seen her. There was supposed to be a vendor at that stand but the vendor never showed. This really looks like foul play... I'm sorry, Killian."

"No", said Killian, "This is Blackbeard's doing! He wants his revenge on me and he has found the perfect way to do it - Emma... God, if he hurts her or the baby, I'll-"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Gold injected, "but Blackbeard doesn't have any magic, does he?"

"No," said Killian, "I've never known or heard of him using magic."

"Well,Emma's magic is very powerful," Gold continued. "Anyone taking her against her will would have to have even more powerful magic. Your pirate friend may be involved but he didn't do the deed himself."

"No," said Regina, "The kidnapper may be more magically potent but this wasn't a showdown. He or she neutralized Emma's magic first."

"How do you know?" asked Killian.

"I keep Zelena's spell book in my vault. I discovered that a page had been ripped from the book...That is why we were meeting today."

"Let me guess - they took Zelena's time travel spell!" David said. "They want the baby for that!"

"No," said Regina, "It wasn't the time travel spell...they took the spell she used to curse Hook's lips and drain Emma's magic. I think that was how Emma was neutralized."

"You're right," said Killian, "Blackbeard couldn't have done that. He must have been the decoy to lure me away so his accomplice could get Emma alone ...Are there any telltale traces of magic near where Emma's bag was found?"

"The whole town has telltale traces of magic," Regina replied. "That black fog certainly wasn't natural. There are several substances that could have caused it but we're not sure which-"

"Squid Ink!" Hook recognized Ariel's voice and looked up. Belle and Ariel stood in the threshold looking inside the meeting room. "That fog was definitely a product of squid ink. I can still smell it in the air."

"Oh, and mermaids have such a superior sense of smell?" Regina scoffed.

"Not necessarily, but we're taught to identify the smell of squid ink from an early age. Sometimes the smell is the only warning you get."

"Wow!" exclaimed Belle. "Squid ink is THAT dangerous!"

"Not by itself," replied Ariel, "But, squid ink has numerous uses in light and dark magic. The degree of danger depends on how the squid ink is being used and by whom."

"Yeah," Dave said, "We are aware of a few uses - dissolving iron bars, neutralizing magic, paralyzingly a person temporarily..."

"Ariel," said Belle, "Where does this squid ink come from in the first place?"

"Oh, it is made from a very rare bred of squid. This species is extinct in the wild but Ursula has managed to bred them domestically."

"Ursula, the Sea Goddess?" Regina asked alarmed.

"Well...no...Ursula, my aunt...but the image you see of the Sea Goddess on most art is actually my Aunt Ursula when she was young. They used her as the model. In fact, the reason some statues depict the goddess as a mermaid with a tail while others show her as a Cecaelia, part woman/part octopus, is that Aunt Ursula was transformed into a Cecaelia after the trial."

"You lost us," said Robin as he looked at the puzzled faces around the table. "What trial?"

"Ursula secretly married a human in defiance of mer law and bore him two children. As punishment, the marriage was annulled, the children taken away, she was turned part octopus and sent into exile."

"That's a strict sentence!" exclaimed Regina.

"Yes, now you can see why it has taken Eric and I so long to get approval for our marriage. My father had to repeal the laws forbidding mer-human interaction, mer-human relations and, of course, marriage. The debate in the Mer Diet was fierce but the repeal finally passed. Most mer folk agreed the time finally had come."

Belle turned to her husband. "Did you know all of this?"

"I didn't know the legal aspects of Ursula's banishment," said Gold. "But, I knew she was the only source for squid ink. In the past, I had to go to her to procure this ingredient."

"Ariel," said David, "Can you ask your aunt if any of her customers have purchased a large quantity of this ink recently?"

Ariel shook her head. "Sorry, no. I've never even met my Aunt Ursula. There is a LOT of bad blood between her and my father. Over the centuries, she has been the focal point for every plot to dethrone him. I dare not try to contact her."

"I understand," David said. "How about you, Gold? Will Ursula talk to you?"

"Well, I don't know her well. And even if I did, I doubt she would divulge the names of her clientele. But, if I explain the situation, maybe she could point us in the right direction...the problem is that we used to do business via magic mirror and my mirror isn't in this world... Perhaps I could enchant one of the mirrors here and use it as a temporary conduit...hum, tricky...but I'll try."

"Thanks," said David as Gold waved a casual goodbye from the door.

"So," David continued, "The only potential leads we have are the squid ink and Blackbeard's sudden appearance."

"Blackbeard is here? In Storybrooke?" Ariel raised her eye brows. "That aweful man shows up everywhere."

"Indeed," said Hook. "Now he wants vengeance on me apparently for sending him off the plank."

"Vengeance for making him walk the plank?" Smee frowned. "That would be against the Pirate Code, Sir. After all, being caught stealing another pirate's ship is punishable with the plank at the very minimum."

"Aye, Smee. He didn't mention the plank incident today...Instead he seemed to want vengeance for Sam Bellamy! I never harmed Bellamy! In fact, I haven't SEEN him in centuries!"

"No one has, sir," said Smee, "He and Teach disappeared shortly after their failed attempt to steal the Jolly Roger."

"Yes, I remember THAT particular incident well!" Killian growled. "I took the two of them on board as crewmen. Then they came to me with this ridiculous scheme about easy pickings in an unnamed realm and wanted to use my ship and my beans! When I refused, they stole some of the beans and tried to take my ship."

"I take it you caught them?" queried David.

"If I had, Blackbeard wouldn't be alive to tell about it...No, Bellamy and Teach disappeared along with my beans. Years later, Teach reappeared sporting a long black beard, captaining a magnificent flag ship and calling himself Blackbeard. Bellamy was never seen or heard from again."

"Where was this realm they were trying to reach?"

"I don't know exactly...The whole story seemed so far fetched. A great king recently acquired vast gold and silver mines... for the mined treasure to reach the king's seat of power, it had to be shipped across a mammoth ocean. Naturally rival kingdoms were anxious to make trouble for this powerful king. So they commissioned pirates to steal the treasure while it was out in the open ocean! It reminded me of the tall tales my father used to tell me and my brother when he returned from a binge. Preposterous!"

"No, it's not! It's true!" Belle exclaimed. "That happened HERE!"

"In Storybrooke?" Killian asked.

"No. Much further south of Storybrooke! But in the Land without Magic! About three hundred to four hundred years ago!" Belle said, "I thought I recognized the names Blackbeard and BLACK Sam Bellamy. I read of their exploits in a book about piracy!"

"Belle," chided Hook gently. "I don't think that means anything. This world ALWAYS gets our stories wrong in their fairy tales."

"But, this wasn't a book of fairy tales. It was a history book! It had both Blackbeard and Black Sam marauding during the Golden Age of Pirates. And the names of the places they sailed - Caribbean, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Bahamas, Cuba - they aren't in the the Enchanted Forest. They are here!"

"So," Smee said softly. "This is where they went."

"And that's how Blackbeard knew how to find Storybrooke!" added Killian. "He'd been to this realm long before any of us!"

"Belle, can you go to the library and get more details on these two pirates?" asked David.

"Sure, if Ariel doesn't mind me bailing on her?"

"No, of course not. We can do the wedding stuff another time. Right now, we have to find Emma...My father may have some information on the squid ink. I'll swim back to the palace and talk with him."

"Smee," said Killian, "Why don't you help Belle with the research? You know all of the pirate history from our world. You should be able to piece things together...oh, and while you are at it, check that troll netting device for information on our two friends."

"Troll netting device? Do you mean the internet, sir?"

"Aye, that annoying thing has its uses."

"Very well, sir," Smee followed Belle and Ariel out the door.

"Regina," said David, "Could you try a locator spell on a piece of Emma's clothing?"

"I can," Regina replied, "But I'm not sure of the spell's range. She may be too far away."

"Thanks, it's worth a try. Killian and Robin can help you on that."

"Aye," said Killian, "Emma's red leather jacket should be ideal. I'll fetch it from the house."

SETTING: Ursula's Lair under the Sea

TIME: Present Day

Emma awoke slowly from her slumber. This was the most comfortable she had felt in weeks and she wanted to enjoy it before she moved and the pressure of being 9 months pregnant reasserted itself on her body. With her eyes still closed, she relished the softness of the mattress and the delicious aroma of the sheets. They smelled like driftwood mingled with clean ocean air, sea spray and sea moss. Where was she?

She opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. She was in the large alcove of an expansive cavern. Yet her surroundings were luxurious by any standard. She lay in a large sleigh bed that appeared to be carved out of solid ivory. The figure of a sea nymph playing a harp was painted on the headboard and inlaid pearls were scattered across the scene for a stunning effect. Sea horses were carved at each foot post. A little round table stood to the left of the bed, flanked by two gold cushioned chairs. Beyond the bed stood a giant armoire, set against a rocky wall, nearly touching one of the many stalactites. The floor was a bit uneven, so the furniture tilted slightly.

Ugh! It all came back to Emma then; the weird smoke, not being able to move, being encased in a bubble rapidly descending to the bottom of the sea. The descent made her light headed. She must have passed out before she got here; wherever 'here' was.

Emma swung her feet over the side of the bed and pushed her swollen body up off the bed. Using careful footing on the uneven floor, Emma walked out of the alcove room and into the huge main cavern. Here the floor was even and polished to a smooth finish. Like the alcove, the great room was furnished lavishly in colors of royal purple, gold and pearl. A sunken living room, complete with wrap around purple sofa and matching chaise, stood to the right. To the side of the chaise, a grotesque sculpture was propped against the wall. Emma assumed the piece depicted some horror of the deep. She shuddered and moved her gaze elsewhere. A large table and chair set engulfed the center of the cave. To the left was what appeared to be a combination kitchen and laboratory. Another alcove bedroom stood off of the kitchen. Candles were scattered all over the inner cavern wall, illuminating the room for a dazzling effect.

As magnificent as the decor appeared, Emma was stunned by the outer cavern wall. The entire wall was transparent, like an enormous window open from ceiling to floor. Outside swam ocean life of every persuasion and size. How was she even able to breathe down here? The cave must be pressurized somehow. She touched the transparent wall hesitantly. It looked like thin glass but it felt squishy like gel. Whatever this substance, it held the crushing ocean depths at bay.

A movement to the far left of the seascape suddenly caught Emma's attention. A multitude of sea creatures with slender fleshy bodies, multiple arms and triangular back fins appeared to be swimming backwards across the view. She knew they were squids but she had never seen any so large! The color of their skin, a purple so deep it was almost black, seemed to disappear into the surroundings when they swam in front of a solid object. Similar to a chameleon, but not exactly blending into the scenery as much as evaporating, these creatures could become invisible to predators.

Swimming amidst this great herd of colossal squids was the crazy octopus lady who kidnapped Emma. She pulled some sort of squid food from a bag strapped to her waist. The squid devoured it hungrily. The bag must have had magic because it divulged a hundred times more food than it could have carried.

Finally, the squid had their fill and octopus lady swam back toward the cavern. Floating tentacles first, she passed through the squishy window and landed upright on the cavern's smooth floor. Wiggling and gliding across the polished surface, she hung the bag on a hook in the kitchen.

"Oh! You're awake!" cried octopus lady. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"How am I feel - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Emma screamed. "YOU KIDNAPPED ME AND DRUG ME DOWN HERE!"

"Now-now, Emma dear, such hysterics are bad for the baby. Not to mention they are totally irrelevant...you are here now. Regardless of how you came to be here, here is where you are and here is where you'll stay until the little one comes...so relax and enjoy the hospitality. I have the most wonderful mineral bath that is fed by a submarine volcano! You'll simply love-"

"Where is here? Emma snapped. "I mean other than the ocean."

"Here is at the bottom of a bottomless sea."

"Where the squid ink comes from," Emma said in awe.

"Right you are, sweetheart! And those are my babies right out there!" She gestured toward the colossal squid herd.

"Okay, WHO are you?" Emma's voice had calmed.

"My name is Ursula."

"Ursula? The sea goddess?"

"I prefer sea witch. Don't get me wrong - Goddess is a wonderful monicker! But, I do more "witching" than "goddessing" these days."

"Why am I here?" Emma asked.

"This is the best place to have the baby, of course," replied Ursula.

"No, the best place to have my baby is in a hospital where doctors and nurses can monitor us...the best place is with my husband and family and friends."

"Umm, debatable. But, I can't let it happen. This baby is the key to ruining my slug excreta of a brother."

"Your brother? That's what all this is about?" Emma asked. "Why do the worst acts of villainy always come down to a family grudge? ... What did he do to you?"

"Let's see; first he stole what should have been my throne.."

"How'd he do that?"

"He was born and he was male."

"That was hardly his fault," Emma observed. "You sound like Zelena. Jealous of her sister's - wait a minute! Zelena! Time travel! You mean to go back in time to kill your brother, don't you? You need a baby for the time travel spell to work."

"Huuum..." mused Ursula. "I never thought of that. Go back and smother my little brother in his cradle years before he can be crowned... No, that wouldn't work! Time travel is unpredictable. Way too may variables to coordinate!"

"You said your brother stole your throne," Emma said. "That means you are royal."

"Yes, I was a Princess once ... But Triton took that away from me along with my marriage and family."

"King Triton? Ariel's father? He's your brother?"

"You got it, angelfish... Ahhh, yes, Ariel. The little tramp did the same thing I did. She fell in love with a human. Me, Triton ruins. For Ariel, he plans the wedding of the century!"

Emma could almost see the jealousy seeping out of the seawitch. Dredging up bad memories might not be the safest course of action here but Emma needed to know more about her captor's motivations. Best to know the villain's plan if you are going to stop it. If there was one thing Emma learned over the years, it was that villains loved to tell you about their schemes. Usually, they only gave you bits and crumbs, challenging you to put the pieces together.

"So, Ursula," Emma said. "You fell in love with a human. Did you rescue him from a shipwreck?"

"No, that was Ariel... When I was that age, I always wanted to push the limits of propriety. So I often made discreet trips to the surface. Nothing dangerous, mind you, just a visit to deserted islands now and then. On one such trip, the island I picked was not so deserted. I spied a man lying in a - oh, what do you call those things - it's like a sail tied horizontal between two trees -"

"A hammock," Emma replied.

"Yes, a hammock. He was asleep so I slide closer for a better look." Ursula's eyes began to mist. "He was SO BEAUTIFUL! Have you ever looked upon a man so gorgeous that you hurt inside?"

Emma nodded. A vision of Killian on the beanstalk flashed through her mind.

"Well," Ursula continued, "he picked that moment to open his eyes and I was a goner! We both fell hopelessly in love!"

"What happened to him?" Emma ventured.

"Triton dissolved our marriage, erased my love's memory of me and supplanted it with a false one. He used the power of the trident - WAY too powerful for memory manipulation in a human as it turned out. My love not only forgot me but he was never quite right in the head after that."

Ursula's face stood in stark profile against the light of the candles. The pain was almost too much for Emma to look upon. Then Ursula drew up her courage and looked Emma straight in the eye.

"My brother destroyed my happiness. My love is now insane. Our oldest son is mostly dead. And our younger boy, who will be summarily executed if I ever try to contact him, doesn't have any idea that I'm his mother."

"Okay, you had it rough...but, I've never hurt you. Why do you have to take MY baby to set this injustice right?"

Ursula turned away, refusing to answer.

Emma sighed. "What do you want with my baby?"

"I need it to bring back HIM."

Ursula pointed to the grotesque sculpture sitting in the living room. Now Emma could see that it was NOT a sculpture. "He" was a real being strapped to some sort of life support machine. His hair and beard were long and curly. The hair color may once have been dark brown but now oozed a greenish hue. The same greenish hue that discolored his hair also tarnished his skin. His cheeks were sunken. Complex networks of wrinkles and veins spread from the corners of his eyes and across his forehead. His sleeping features appeared to be distorted in pain.

Emma took him to be a merman. Except something wasn't exactly right. He was dressed in clothes - that was it! He wore a full length captain's coat not unlike Killian's leather pirate coat. Yet the coat was made of some type of eel skin instead of leather. The shirt and vest underneath the coat were also made of sea materials. The pants - wait a minute! He wore pants! He had legs!

"He's human!" Emma exclaimed.

"No," said Ursula. "His human half is dead. Only his mer half survives and that can only sustain him with huge doses of squid ink administered three time per day... He is awake for only short periods at a time... I keep this cave oxygenized so he can breathe. His respiratory system is human but mer sustained. That means he can't breathe underwater by natural means like a full blooded merman can."

"Who is he?"

"He is MY SON."

NOTES:

Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome if you feel so inclined.

Historical Note: I picked Black Sam Bellamy as an added character because he was the only contemporary of the historical Blackbeard that ever set foot in Maine. The two did not grow up together in England. Nor was Sam an orphan. (No one knows for sure about Edward Teach). They did not meet as boys but as men when they served with Capt Hornigold's pirate fleet right after "Queen Anne's War". They certainly were not brothers but I needed two pirates who could be Ursula's sons.